More than 240 family members and friends will celebrate the graduation of approximately 78 students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo on Friday 9 December.Graduates from the Faculty of Arts and Education, Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences, and Faculty of Science will receive their awards at the 11am ceremony at the Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre, 155 Darling Street, Dubbo.Newly-appointed Head of Campus at CSU in Dubbo, Ms Cathy Maginnis (pictured), said, "All of us at Charles Sturt University in Dubbo can't wait to celebrate the achievements of all our 2016 graduates. We also look forward to welcoming our graduates' friends and families and the community to celebrate this special event. All our graduates can take great pride in their achievements, and we wish them well as they enter a new chapter of the lives."Graduating students of distinction include nursing graduate Ms Sophie Board who was born and bred in Dubbo but now lives in Gilgandra. She will be the fourth member of her family to graduate from CSU in Dubbo, and the third to graduate with a Bachelor of Nursing from the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health at CSU in Dubbo. In 2007 her mother Corrina graduated from nursing and her sister Lucy graduated in 2011. Her other sister Keera graduated from CSU in Dubbo with a Bachelor of Education in 2011. Ms Board has been accepted for a new graduate nursing position at Dubbo Base Hospital starting in February 2017.Dubbo local and nursing graduate Ms Jocelyn McKay served as Student Representative for the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health; on the Dubbo Student Committee; and on the Dubbo Campus Environment Committee. She has a new graduate position starting in 2017 in the NSW Health Remote Rotation Program where she will transition through up to four remote health facilities which will give her a great perspective on the health challenges facing remote communities.The Occasional Address at the graduation ceremony will be delivered by Professor Jeannie Herbert, AM, Pro Vice Chancellor Indigenous Education and Foundation Chair of Indigenous Studies at CSU.The CSU graduation ceremony will start at 11am Friday 9 December at the Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre, 155 Darling Street, Dubbo NSW.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) has announced a new Head of Campus for CSU in Dubbo.Ms Catherine Maginnis (pictured) is the new Head of Campus at CSU in Dubbo until the end of November 2017.Announcing the appointment Director of the CSU Office of Government and Community Relations, Mr Peter Fraser, said, "I congratulate Ms Maginnis on her appointment and look forward to working with her to advance the University's community engagement program.""Ms Maginnis is currently a lecturer and academic advisor in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health in Dubbo, and has extensive ties to the community of Dubbo and a long history of engagement and work in the community health sector. Her commitment to the Dubbo region is evident in her teaching at the University, her engagement with various sectors of the health community, and her ongoing research collaborations."Ms Maginnis moved to Dubbo for her high school years and left to pursue her nursing education. She worked in different nursing roles focussing on child, family and midwifery, and continued her education while working and having a family. She returned to Dubbo in 2001 to commence work as a nursing lecturer at CSU in 2002."I am passionate and committed to providing higher education to the Dubbo and surrounding communities, and I have been very engaged with the health and education sectors for many years," Ms Maginnis said."I am proud to work at Charles Sturt University and offer opportunities for our community to gain qualifications and education. The re-development of the University in Dubbo will offer modern, student-friendly environments to learn and network for students, staff and the community. I look forward to representing the University in the Dubbo and regional communities, and encouraging others to study at and use the wonderful facilities at Charles Sturt University in Dubbo."Mr Fraser also said, "I would like to thank former Head of Campus Professor Jeannie Herbert for her dedication to the leadership of the Dubbo campus, and for providing valuable input and insight into the University's community engagement with the Dubbo region."

New research has identified conservative community attitudes, male leadership and a focus on crisis response rather than prevention as obstacles to tackling domestic violence in Wagga Wagga.The research is first phase of a wider study by Dr Andreia Schineanu from Charles Sturt University (CSU) and Ms Lauren Darley Bentley of the Wagga Women's Health Centre (WWHC).An adjunct lecturer at CSU's School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dr Schineanu, said this phase of the project canvassed the views of people who were in some way connected with domestic violence and the services that respond to the issue in Wagga Wagga."While some of the obstacles to addressing domestic violence stem from government financial rationalisation and limited funding opportunities, many challenges are related to Wagga's conservative attitudes and lack of gender equality in leadership, and this is something that we can work with," Dr Schineanu said."This first phase provides a good starting point for us to get together as a community and develop a series of interventions to tackle the high rate of domestic violence, while giving us a baseline against which we can measure any future changes."The report also found that Wagga Wagga's readiness to address domestic violence is very low and that there are many misconceptions about what domestic violence is, where it occurs, who it affects and the available services.The project Wagga Wagga's Readiness to Tackle Domestic Violence against Women – Stakeholder consultation Reportwill be launched at 12:30pm on Monday 5 December at the Wagga Wagga civic precinct, Baylis Street, Wagga Wagga.It is part of a wider project for the Wagga Women's Health Centre titled, Domestic Violence: Our Issue, Our Response.The project is supported by funding from the Rotary Club of Wollundry and also involves the Army Recruit Training Centre Kapooka.The ongoing research will examine the community's attitude towards domestic violence and gender issues before considering strategic planning of interventions to address the issue.

A screening of the film, Chasing Asylum at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga aims to stimulate discussion about Australia's off-shore detention policies and the role that regional communities can play in refugee resettlement.The free event on Saturday 3 December is being hosted by CSU's Centre for Law and Justice.Lecturer at the Centre, Ms Charlotte Steer said, "Charles Sturt University aims to produce law graduates who are committed to social justice and community service, particularly for Indigenous Australians, and for regional and remote Australia."The Albury-Wodonga region has a long tradition of supporting migrants and a good track record for successfully supporting refugees as part of resettlement programs."Chasing Asylum was made from footage smuggled out of the immigration detention centres on Manus Island and Nauru and shows the distressing conditions for the men, women and children who are compulsorily detained there."We hope this event will raise awareness of the broader issue and add to the conversation about how we can make a difference in our local community."The film will be followed by a panel discussion with representatives from organisations working with migrants and refugees in the Border region.For more information contact Ms Steer via email csteer@csu.edu.au

Students from Maclean High School on the NSW North Coast have won the 2016 Charles Sturt University (CSU) business simulation competition, Game On.The virtual business game, hosted annually by CSU's School of Management and Marketing, requires student teams from Years 10 and 11 create their own virtual business and compete for a major prize and regional prizes for their schools.In 2016, 630 students from 30 schools competed, with Maclean High School (Commerce 5) taking out the competition's major prize of $2 500.Head of the CSU School of Management and Marketing and simulation coordinator Associate Professor Mark Frost said, "Hands-on experience is vital for a successful start in the business sector and it's never too young to start learning."Students have to create their own virtual business and ensure its success in a simulated market environment."The competition is designed to complement the Stage 6 NSW Business Studies curriculum and covers topics including finance, human resource management, marketing, and operations."We hope the competition sparks a passion in the students for business or inspires the world's next great entrepreneurs. I congratulate the students from Maclean High School for their 2016 Game On competition win."Regional prizes of up to $1 000 were taken out by Willyama High School in Broken Hill, Kildare Catholic College in Wagga Wagga, Goulburn MET School, and James Fallon High School in Albury. Also, students at Radford College in Canberra won a small consolation pool prize for their efforts.Further information is available on the Game On website.Details of accounting, business, human resources, management and marketing programs offered by the CSU School of Management and Marketing are available here.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) historian has contributed to the development of a new heritage trail on the theme of early surveyors as part of the continuing story of Bathurst.Dr Robin McLachlan, adjunct senior lecturer in the CSU School of Humanities and Social Sciences, is the researcher and writer for new signage to accompany a banner flag for the heritage trail which is being developed by Bathurst Regional Council with the Institution of Surveyors NSW Incorporated, and NSW Land and Property Information.The Macquarie's Meridian banner flag and accompanying interpretation sign will be unveiled at 12pm Wednesday 30 November by the Mayor of Bathurst, Councillor Gary Rush, and Dr McLachlan."The Macquarie Meridian banner flag offers a visual reminder of Bathurst's connection with Governor Macquarie's plan in 1815 for a town on this site," Dr McLachlan said."It underscores Bathurst's claim of being a Macquarie Town, as it was built on the site chosen in 1815 by Governor Macquarie and drew on his flag staff for the laying out of its blocks and streets in 1833."It also provides a visual connection between today's Bathurst and the first settlement, established in 1815, of which nothing remains to be seen."The accompanying interpretation sign also draws attention to the original form of the landscape, namely a broad ridge running from the river to Wahluu (Mount Panorama) which offered a well-drained site for a town."The flagpole, with the banner, sits alongside the survey line (the meridian) that runs from the site of Macquarie's 1815 flag staff, now the site of the Bathurst Bicentenary Flag Staff, through the centre of Bathurst town, as set out in 1833. The same flag staff site was used as the survey base point in 1833, which sees the meridian running exactly midway between William and George streets.​"Macquarie's Meridian is a significant feature in the story of Bathurst," Dr McLachlan said. "Bathurst has an amazing history and there are many stories yet to be found and shared. As an historian, I expect to be kept very busy for a very long time."

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo is undergoing a $2.5 million refurbishment and upgrade of facilities to improve student learning facilities and amenities.CSU campus development manager Mr Bart Sykes said, "These works form the second stage of the review to revitalise student spaces at the heart of the campus."The approximate cost of the work is $2.5 million and local building contractors and trades have been engaged on the job."The refurbishment of the Learning Commons is to be done over the summer break to minimise any possible inconvenience to students, and the work will be completed by the end of February 2017 in time for the start of the new academic year."The upgrade program at CSU in Dubbo includes:1. Providing 24/7 access to the whole of the Learning Commons area (includes Cardax and CCTV upgrades);2. Improving the Learning Commons to enhance student amenity and provide quiet study spaces; this includes an additional quiet study room, a new parent and multi-faith room, and a staff kitchen, as well as two new flat-floor flexible teaching spaces fronting onto the courtyard;3. Relocating learning spaces away from the entry to the Learning Commons and providing an open plan Student Central and Library Services 'welcome' point at the entrance to the campus;4. Providing a café in the main space adjacent to the Learning Commons, which incorporates a kitchenette for students to use 24/7;5. Relocating the existing computer lab to become a shared space with the Learning Commons (i.e. accessible 24/7);6. Improving the courtyard for casual seating and learning environments.

An innovative art exhibition that celebrates human birth is being hosted by Charles Sturt University's (CSU) Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture (ACC&C) in Canberra until Saturday 26 November.Executive Director of the ACC&C, the Right Reverend Professor Stephen Pickard, said, "In this exhibition 15 Australian contemporary visual artists responded to the invitation to contemplate and explore the process of human birth. "The artists come from a diverse range of national and cultural backgrounds, with contrasting world views. Their works in the exhibition celebrate life through their choice of rich and varied artistic mediums."The exhibition opened on Sunday 13 and runs to Saturday 26 November and is accessible at the ACC&C, corner of Kings Avenue and Blackall Street, Barton, ACT, from 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday, and from 1pm to 4pm on weekends. More information can be found here.

From chickpeas to mungbeans and soybeans to lupins, a free symposium at Charles Sturt University (CSU) will explore research into the production, marketing and potential health benefits of pulses.Hosting the event on Monday 28 November is the Australian Research Council (ARC) Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Functional Grains, with support from CSU and NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI).Centre Director, Professor Chris Blanchard said, "This is the International Year of Pulses and the symposium is an opportunity to hear from leading researchers and market experts about the future of production, global demand and consumption of pulses.""It's not just for farmers, we hope that advisors and health professionals will also come along to learn more."CSU scientists and PhD students will discuss chickpea consumption in India, the use of lupins for more than cattle feed and the nutritional and processing properties of some popular pulses.The symposium also includes speakers from Austrade, Pulse Australia, NSW DPI, the Grains and Legumes Nutritional Council and processor, AGT Foods Australia.NSW DPI pulse research will be on show, including the Pulse Breeding Australia (PBA) breeding trials. The trials include chickpea, lentil, faba bean, lupin and fieldpeas. NSW DPI researcher Mr Mark Richards and PBA pulse breeders will be on hand to discuss breeding objectives and recent advancements.The Future of Pulse Production and Consumption symposium begins with a field walk at 8am on Monday 28 November and runs through until 5pm.Read the full program and register here.